In the landscaping industry, decorative lighting fixtures are among the devices utilized to improve the appearance of a particular landscape, while simultaneously providing the safety and security associated with a lighted area. Currently, decorative lighting fixtures are manufactured such that the fixture is attached to a stake having a pointed edge opposite the fixture. The fixture is positioned by driving the pointed edge of the stake into the ground to a desired depth, leaving the fixture above the ground in its desired position. For example, a series of lighting fixtures may be lined up along the opposite sides of a sidewalk leading from the driveway to the front door of a residence. In order to create a so-called staircase effect, each lighting fixture may be attached to an intermediate extender of varying length, with the extender in turn being attached to the stake, creating the appearance that each subsequent lighting fixture is "shorter" than the preceding fixture.
Among the manufactures of stake-supported landscaping lighting fixtures are Hanover Lantern, 470 High Street, Hanover, Pa., 17331; After Sunset, 410 West Fletcher Avenue, Orange, Calif., 92665; Kichler Lighting, 1541 E. 38th Street, Cleveland, Ohio, 44114; and RAB Electric Manufacturing Co., Inc., 170 Ludlow Avenue, Northvale, N.J., 07647. Many stake-supported lighting fixtures manufactured by these companies feature exposed power supplies. The power supplies, usually a long cord linking the fixture with a central power source, are connected to the lighting fixtures and some are exposed between the fixture and the point where the stake enters the ground, where the power supplies are usually buried.
A potential problem associated with the fixtures described above and manufactured by the referenced companies is that the stake is subject to being toppled over while, for example, the fixture is undergoing maintenance, the landscape surrounding the fixture is being maintained, or the fixture is exposed to inclement weather, particularly rainy weather which loosens the soil into which the stake is driven and/or windy weather which can uproot the stake from the ground. Furthermore, the exposure of a portion of the power supplies presents a potential danger, both because of the potential exposure of the electricity traveling through the power supply and because of the possibility of children and/or pets becoming entangled in or among the exposed cords.
There exist in the art a number of devices which are intended to prevent stakes from toppling over. Among such devices are those described in U.S. Pat. No. 134,828, to Watson; U.S. Pat. No. 396,624, to Thomas; U.S. Pat. No. 492,250, to Hedges; U.S. Pat. No. 1,161,303, to Fritz; U.S. Pat. No. 1,333,842, to Durkee; U.S. Pat. No. 1,591,845, to Kurtz; U.S. Pat. No. 1,712,801, to White; U.S. Pat. No. 2,554,887, to Tricarico; and German Patent No. 2539079, to Kosel, all of which are incorporated herein by reference. The support devices described in these patents all either directly abut the ground or result in the supported fixture directly abutting the ground. Furthermore, these devices do not provide a method for concealing the exposed power supply.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a system which prevents a stake-supported lighting fixture from toppling over while either the fixture or the landscape surrounding the fixture are being maintained or are exposed to inclement weather conditions.
There is an additional need in the art for such a system to fulfill this need while simultaneously providing a means by which to prevent exposure of the lighting fixture's power supply.
There is an additional need in the art for such a system to provide an area for accessing the lighting fixture, for maintenance or other purposes, without requiring removal of the stakes from the ground.
Furthermore, there is room in the art for a stake-based support system which may support landscaping devices other than lighting fixtures.